Christmas tree stand



29, 1939- A. J. SCHULZ ET AL 2,171,223

CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed June 8, 1936 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 29, 1939 PATENT OFFICE OHRISTMAS TREE STAND Alfred J. Schulz and Herbert H. Schulz, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application June 8, 1936, Serial No. 84,042

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Christmas tree stands.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel demountable type of Christmas tree stand susceptible of extremely economical manufacture and readily assembled to comprise a complete and attractive article.

More specifically it is one of the purposes of the present invention to provide a stand of ornamental and attractive design and one in which a bowl or receptacle for water includes integral means for positioning the butt of the tree, such bowl being of uniform thickness throughout by reason of its production of one piece of metal without drawing or compressing the metal, but merely changing its form.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a stand in which a novel organization of the legs provides for the support of the water receptacle free of the ring in which the set screws for engaging the trunk of the tree are mounted. it is my purpose to provide a mounting plate for carrying the bowl or receptacle for water, and to provide slotted portions thereof with which the legs are individually interlocked to be held in position solely by the single screw which connects each leg with the aforesaid ring. This greatly reduces the expense of manufacture and facilitates the assembly of the stand when shipped knocked down, and provides in very simple manner for a series of legs each of which requires but a single mounting screw, and each of which serves not merely to support the base of the apparatus but also to carry the trunk engaging ring from the base. The ring itself may be of novel and inexpensive construction as hereinafter described.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing the construction and ornamental appearance of my improved Christmas tree stand.

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale partially in transverse section showing details of the stand structure.

Figure 3 is a view generally in plan andpartially in horizontal section of the upper portion of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a fragment of a modified construction embodying the invention.

Like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The receptacle 4 is of generally frusto-conical form with its larger end uppermost. It is made in one piece in a formed die or dies without any drawing or compression of the metal. The excess of metal in the periphery over that in the base is accommodated and used in deep convolutions 5, which give the walls an ornamental appearance and also serve as a means of positioning 5 or centering the butt of the three trunk supported by the device.

The receptacle 4 is positioned by a single rivet 6 which passes through its bottom and holds the bottom securely upon a mounting plate 1 which is preferably ribbed at 8 as shown in Fig. 2 to cooperate with the rivet as a means of positioning the receptacle.

The legs 9 are preferably three in number and require no screws or other extraneous fastening devices at their inner ends. Each leg has the general shape of a cotter pin, being formed intermediate its ends with a loop H] which serves as a foot to rest upon the floor. The lower end I I of each leg has an offset at I2 which passes through a suitable opening in the mounting plate 7' and rests upon the surface of the mounting plate.

It is readily engaged and disengaged by oscillation ina direction to align the extreme end of the leg with the aperture. When in the position shown in Fig. 2, the offset portion 12 of each leg is firmly anchored in place in the mounting plate.

The upper end portion l5 of each leg extends upwardly, free of the cup or receptacle 4, to a position thereabove Where it is engaged with the ring [6. This ring is horizontally flanged at H and is provided around its lower margin with a series of tongues or ears at l8 which are formed upwardly upon the inner periphery of the ring and into imtimate face contact with such inner periphery. At the several points Where these tongues l8 occur, the ring and overlying portion of the tongue are apertured and the apertures are tapped or threaded to receive alternately the screws l9 which hold the upper ends of legs 9 and the set screws 20 by means of which the tree trunk is engaged and positioned with respect to the support.

In knocked down condition, the device includes separately the receptacle 4 and attached mounting plate I, the three individual legs 9, the ring I6 and the mounted set screws 20 and the three separate screws I9 for attaching the legs.

The offset portions 12 of each successive leg are respectively engaged in the mounting plate and the upper end of the leg is screwed to the ring it. When all three legs have been positioned by three screws the assembly of several parts is complete and a strong, rigid supporting structure is provided with no further securing devices: or manipulation.

Inasmuch as the cup or receptacle 4 is entirely unique in the art, its construction by one method will be briefly described.

A disk of sheet metal of suitable gauge is ridged or fluted radially by dies which do not materially offset any portion of the metal, but merely make a series of shallow radial troughs in the disk. This pre-forming operation indicates or sets the position of the flutes in the completed product, The disk, thus preliminarily set, is placed over a ring die, and a punch equal in diameter to the small bottom of the receptacle is then 'engaged with the central portion of the disk to force the metal through the ring die. The disk will thereupon fold or flute itself as shown, the flutes being broad and the convolutions narrow. 'The convolutions may, by this method, be made to come in virtual contact with each other if desired. The size of the ring corresponds to the outside maximum dimensions of the finished receptacle, which is completed when pushed completely through the ring.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the cup or receptacle $0 is made by a somewhat different process, but the product is similar to the cup 4 already described; The base 10 of this modified embodiment of the invention is likewise somewhat diiierent, having at its three side margins downwardly turned flanges H which, at each apex, provide a channel to receive an individual leg I50.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 it is the intermediate portion of the leg which provides the foot, and the terminal portion of each leg is anchored to the base. In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the intermediate portion of the leg passes through the slot 12 in the base iii and is engaged by the downturned flanges, and the terminal portion Ill] of the leg rests on the floor. Its upper portion is curved to extend from the slotted base about the margin of the cup or container 40 to the ring I60, to which it is fastened by the single screw I9 as in the construction shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. This construction is even less expensive than that disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

We claim:

1. In a Christmas tree stand, the combination with tree-butt-engaging means provided with a laterally projecting apertured plate, of three legs. having offset terminal portions extending through the apertures of the plate and thence over the plate in releasable interlocked engagement therewith, each of said legs extending substantially radially from said means outwardly from said plate and downwardly to provide floor engaging portions remote from said means and below said plate, whereby said means is supported free of the floor in an organization such that the loading of said means will tighten the interlocking engagement of said legs with said plate; each of said legs having an upper terminal portion extending upwardly from its floor engaging portion; .a ring above said means for encircling the trunk of a tree butt engaged by said means, screw means detachably connecting each of said --means adjustably carried by said ring, of a supporting structure comprising legs extending downwardly from said ring and provided with floor engaging portions and thence extending toward a point disposed centrally beneath said ring, and a one piece sheet metal receptacle provided with Walls having flutes with downwardly converging'internal surfaces for positioning the butt of a tree trunk extending through said ring, said receptacle being provided with means at its bottom'connecting it with the centrally extended portions of said legs and upon which said receptacle is dependent for its support in spaced relation to said ring.

3. In a Christmas tree stand, the combination with a trunk-encircling ring and trunk-engaging means adjustably carried thereby, of a one piece sheet metal receptacle spaced beneath said ring and provided with a bottom and with walls taperingdownwardly toward said bottom and fluted to provide downwardly convergent tree-butt-positioning surfaces, and a supporting structure comprising a series of legs including floor engaging means located below the receptacle and remote from the receptacle and ring, and separate means provided with operative connections independently to the receptacle and to said ring, whereby to maintain said receptacle and ring in spaced relation to each other and above a floor upon which said supporting structure rests.

- 4. In a Christmas tree stand, the combination with-a trunk-encircling ring and trunk-engaging means adjustably carried thereby, of a receptacle centered in spaced relation to said ring therebeneath and comprising a seamless sheet metal container unitarily formed with walls having flutes providing downwardly converging buttpositioning surfaces, and a supporting structure provided with floor engaging portions and portions connected respectively with said receptacle and ring for the support thereof in unitary assembly.

5. In a Christmas tree stand, the combination with a seamless sheet metal receptacle having a bottom and provided with side walls downwardly converging to said bottom and deeply fluted to provide tree-butt-positioning surfaces converging at a lesser angle than said walls, of trunk engaging means above said receptacle, and a supporting structure including means carrying said receptacle and said trunk engaging means in unitary assembly.

ALFRED J. SCHULZ. HERBERT H. SCHULZ. 

